Salade

Spicy Lentil Tacos with Radish Salsa. May is one of the best months because it’s officially the open of many farmers’ markets across the United States.

Fresh produce is everywhere and it’s one of my favorite ways to get new recipe inspiration. When Frontier Co-op asked how I use farmers’ markets to Cook with Purpose, I knew I’d be making tacos. These tacos highlight two of my favorite spring treats: fresh baby greens (like spinach and arugula) and crisp, red radishes. The freshness of the greens and radish salsa balance the spice-forward lentils.

A perfect spring meal that is easy to throw together and highlights a couple of my favorite farmers’ market treats!
Roasted Carrots and Couscous with Gremolata. I am occasionally grateful for my ability to play it cool even with these crazy pregnancy hormones (and yes, on many occasions the hormones win).

While at the market this past weekend, I was waiting in line to pay for some strawberries when the person in front of me asked if he could get his beet greens chopped of the beets. It took everything in my power not to yell ‘NO, not the beet greens!” But alas, I figured getting yelled at by some potentially emotional pregnant lady was not what this guy had in mind as a Saturday morning activity. One of the reason I love going to the market is it’s one of the only places you can find the entire vegetable. It’s hard for grocery stores to do this as the greens on these vegetables (like beets and carrots) draw out the moisture leaving the vegetable soft. This particular recipe uses the carrot tops in a gremolata mix with traditional parsley. Roasted Carrots and Couscous with Gremolata Preheat oven to 400˚.

I fantasize about flavor combinations in my sleep and when we’re out in the fields covered in dirt, sweating our butts off and praying for the sun to set so we can head in for the day dinner is never farm from my mind.
Kale Salad with Beets and Lentils. When we got back from Mexico last week I decided to swear off coffee, alcohol, dessert and fried foods for a week in the name of health.

Well, that backfired in the way of a massive caffeine headache, minor flu, and my body being all like “why you think you can take away everything we love at once? Not happening.” Not happening indeed. That little cleanse lasted about 3 days before I was like “give me all the coffee and wine and tortilla chips. Muahahahaha.”
Herbal Rice Salad with Peanuts Recipe. Hi friends - I'm back from New York, and excited to be back in my own kitchen.

I miss it when I travel! This was first up, and I'm telling you, you're going to want to keep this herb-packed rice salad in your back pocket this summer. It's for those occasions when basil, and mint, and cilantro are booming in your garden, or at the market. And it's a great way to use leftover rice (or other favorite grain). I'm not shy with the amount of herbs I use in relation to the quantity of rice here, and I also like to deploy a generous amount of toasted coconut and peanuts. A couple side notes - aside from the chopping of the herbs, you can prep the components of this salad a couple of days ahead of time - rice, coconut, peanuts.
Shaved Brussels Sprout Einkorn Salad with Soy-Mustard Dressing. When I first started cooking, as in, really starting to learn, I fell in love but my knowledge was extremely limited.

I remember, specifically, watching an episode of the Next Food Network Star for which I had attempted a youtube challenge in hopes of being on the show, luckily for me, I didn’t make it far in that challenge. I say luckily, because at the time, I wouldn’t haven been able to hack it. As we watched this episode, I made the remark that I didn’t understand how these people could just whip something up out of a pile of random ingredients.

My young, in-love-with-cooking self, couldn’t wrap my head around the idea of creativity in the kitchen. The majority of the recipes on this site wouldn’t be here had I not found that curiosity and creativity in the kitchen.
Black Bean Quinoa Salad with Cumin-Roasted Carrots. First of all, wow.

Place carrots, cilantro stalks, olive oil, cumin, coriander, paprika, and 1/2 teaspoon turmeric in a bowl, season well with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, and mix well. Spread out in a single layer on a baking tray and roast for 25-30 minutes, turning often, until golden and tender.
Salade de pâtes aux légumes grillés. C'est LA meilleure salade de pâtes que j'aie faite.

Roasted Summer Squash Pasta + Cilantro-Lime Pesto. It’s the most wonderful time of the year!

Laap de tofu, salade laotienne. Trop souvent les gens assimilent la cuisine lao à la cuisine thaï.
The Best Lentil Salad, Ever. Smashed Garlic Tahini White Bean Salad on Toast. This light, bright, and supremely flavorful smashed garlic tahini white bean salad is the perfect toast, sandwich, wrap, or salad topper for spring.
Za'atar Roasted Cauliflower Bowls with Sumac Tahini Sauce. It’s been a while since we’ve had a good “bowl” meal and this roasted veggie dish is on point. The za’atar roasted cauliflower is so darn flavorful it was hard resisting eating the whole sheet pan before we actually sat down to eat. We tossed the crispy cauliflower with some cooked lentils, quinoa and drizzled everything in a zesty sumac tahini sauce.

I recently ordered another jar of sumac from my favorite spice shop (Savory Spice) and have been loving having it on hand to sprinkle all all my roasted veggie dishes. Sumac is a key ingredient in the spice mix za’atar and this refreshingly bright dressing was a perfect topper for our grain bowls. If you precook your quinoa and lentils at the beginning of the week this meal comes together in a flash.